What does coverture mean?
Coverture is the name of a long-standing doctrine of Anglo-American common law under which a married woman's independent legal existence was, in effect, absorbed into that of her husband. Upon marriage, a wife became a "feme covert": she could not own property separately, keep her own wages, enter into contracts, or sue and be sued on her own account, because legally she was said to be "covered" by her spouse. The doctrine shaped inheritance, employment, and family life for centuries and became a central target of nineteenth-century feminist reform, which dismantled it through legislation such as the Married Women's Property Acts. Though no longer part of living law, coverture survives as a powerful historical term — invoked by historians, lawyers, and writers whenever the legal erasure of women within marriage is discussed. It is formal, scholarly vocabulary, but its legacy makes it essential to understanding the history of women's rights.
nounA legal doctrine in Anglo-American common law under which a married woman's legal identity was subsumed into that of her husband upon marriage, so that her property, earnings, and legal standing were largely controlled by him.
- The common-law doctrine by which a married woman's separate legal existence was suspended, her rights and obligations being covered by those of her husband.
"Under the doctrine of coverture, a wife could not own property independently of her husband."
"Under the doctrine of coverture, a married woman could not sign contracts or own property in her own name."
"Nineteenth-century reform movements attacked coverture as a legal fiction that reduced wives to dependents."
Rarely pluralized; the plural appears only in academic writing when contrasting different jurisdictions' versions of the doctrine.
"Legal historians have compared the covertures of English and American courts in detail."
For centuries, English law treated a husband and wife as one legal person — and that person was the husband.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of coverture
Coverture derives from the Old French "covreture", a noun formed from "covrir" ("to cover"), which itself descends from the Latin "cooperire", meaning to cover entirely or conceal (from "com-" plus "operire"). The word entered English in the medieval period through legal French, the language of the courts after the Norman Conquest, where it named the state of being legally covered by a husband. Its root also lies behind everyday words such as "cover", "kerchief" (literally a head-covering), "curfew" (from "couvre-feu", "cover-fire"), and "recover". The feminine term "feme covert" shares the same origin.
How coverture is actually used
Coverture is now almost entirely historical and legal-academic vocabulary, appearing chiefly in discussions of family law history, women's rights, and early modern literature. It carries strongly negative connotations today as a symbol of women's legal subordination before reforms such as the Married Women's Property Acts. The related terms "feme covert" (a married woman) and "feme sole" (an unmarried woman with full legal capacity) often appear alongside it.
Easily confused with coverture
"Covert" is an adjective meaning hidden or concealed, whereas "coverture" is the noun naming a historical legal doctrine about married women's legal identity.
"Overture" means an opening offer or introductory piece of music, while "coverture" refers to the common-law doctrine covering a wife's legal rights.